In the United States, the digits 9-1-1 are designated as the emergency telephone number and enhancements to the 911 system typically enable the caller's telephone number to be displayed to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). As a result, when the caller is calling from a single line telephone using the Enhanced 911 system, the address associated with the caller's telephone number can be retrieved and usually provides a reasonably precise identification of the caller's location. Public safety agencies rely on the Enhanced 911 system to provide dependable and precise information about the caller's location and a reliable number to call back in order to reach the caller.
In some cases, emergency calls made from telephones connected to a multi-line telephone system (MLTS) may not be precisely located by the Enhanced 911 system, thereby eliminating some of the benefits of the Enhanced 911. The lack of adequate location information can be life threatening if the caller cannot supply the correct location.
Moreover, insufficient public safety resources may be dispatched and considerable disruption in business operations may be experienced from the public safety personnel attempting to locate the caller.
Further, in a private network environment (e.g., campus environment), internet protocol telephony cannot locate a user because the user may simply plug his phone into any network jack and obtain a dynamically assigned internet protocol address while maintaining the assigned phone number, so the specific location of the individual is unknown. Current technology allows for merely the Billed To Number (BTN) and address of the point of presence (e.g., a commercial building on a campus environment, an off campus location, and/or the like), where the trunk group terminates, to be sent to the PSAP (a trunk group is a collection of phone access lines to provide service to MLTS). As such, local security staff at a main entrance often direct paramedical staff to the call source, if known. Alternatively, the caller can contact local security and/or the direct call to Enhanced 911 can include the caller identifying their location to the authorities in order to avoid the authorities having to search the entire building.
Along with potential complications from Enhanced 911 calls placed from MLTS, people are increasingly using internet protocol (IP) telephones to access emergency services. These additional devices for accessing Enhanced 911 services raise other concerns, for example, the devices are either not found in any permanent location or can be plugged into any one of many locations within a large structure, campus, or area. Particularly, with internet protocol telephony, the user has the ability to plug into any network jack and obtain a dynamically assigned internet protocol address while maintaining her assigned telephone number. As such, when the caller uses the internet protocol telephony, the specific location of the individual may not be available to the Enhanced 911 dispatch center.
Thus, a system and method for more accurately locating a person using a communication device (e.g., an internet protocol phone) is desirable.